The Senate has amended eight (8) clauses from the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (Establishment, etc) Bill and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (Establishment, etc) Bill. Although both Bills had passed the National Assembly on January 12th, 2017 and were transmitted to the President for assent, the Senate withdrew them after its attention was drawn to the impracticability of some of the provisions if enacted.
Presenting the motion for amendment at the Senate plenary session of Tuesday, May 16th 2017, Sen. Ahmad Lawan (APC: Yobe) explained that the procedure for the withdrawal and reconsideration of the Bills was in line with Order 1 (b) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015 which provides that:
” In all cases not provided for hereinafter or by session or Order practice of the Senate, the Senate shall by resolution regulate its procedure”
Sen. Lawan also described the cited Order as apt mentioning there was no defined procedure on the reconsideration of Bills passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent before being later withdrawn in its Standing Orders.
Following his submissions, the Senate at the Committee of the Whole considered and approved the amendments of the Long Title, Sections 3 (b), (c), (d), (v), 6 and 16 and Sections 1(5), 2(1), 5(e), 6(7), 9(2) and 29 of the Bills respectively.
